Method and apparatus for manufacturing bags



SePt- 15, 1959 P. wElssHUHN 2,903,947v4 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BAGS Filed June 14, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l sept. 15, 1959' v vF'. wElssHUHN 2,903,947 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BAGS Filed June 14, 195e 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5409 a )44 F/G. .9 ff Y 45 *Fw 52 43 a I Sept.- 15, 1959 P. wElssHU HN 2,903,947

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BAGS Filed June 14, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING IBAGS Peter Weisshuhn, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada l Application June l14, 1956, Serial No. '591,410 Claims priority, application Germany June 14, 195'5 4 Claims. (Cl. 93-135) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing bags.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing two-seam bags made of a foldable material, as, for example, paper, foil, cellophane or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby bags made of foldable material may rapidly be mass-produced at very W cost.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby bags made of foldable materialrnay be produced automatically with a minimum of supervision.

With the above objects in View, the present invention mainly consists in a method of making bags of foldable material which comprises the stepsV of providing a strip having at its opposite edge portions notches which leave between themselves flap portions, folding each notched edge portion onto one face of the strip, folding each of the ap portions back onto the previously folded correspending edge portion, applying an adhesive to the exposed faces of the folded flap portions of the strip, cutting the folded strip into individual sections each of which contains a pair of flap portions each of which extends from the region of one end of the respective section to approximately the midpoint thereof, and folding each section about a line transverse to the edge portions and passing through the region of the midpoint of eachv section so that that part of each edge portion which is not coextensive with any ap portions is in face-to-face relationship with and adheres to the ap portion associated with the remainder of such edge portion.

The present invention further consists in that improvement in an apparatus for making bags of foldable material which includes means for moving along a predetermined work path an elongated strip of foldable material formed at its opposite edge portions with notches which leave between themselves ilap portions, irst folding means arranged along the work path for folding the notched edge portions of the moving strip onto one face thereof, and second folding means also arranged along the work path and, in the direction of the moving strip, behind the first folding means for folding the flap portions of the moving strip back onto the previously folded corresponding edge portion of the strip.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from -the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1-4 are plan views of a bag capable of .being produced by the method and apparatus according to the present invention, the bag being shown in different folded and unfolded conditions;

2 l Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a finished bag produced according to the present invention;

Pig. 6 isy a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5; i

n Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of a bag produced according to the present invention, the bag being shown in its unfolded condition;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of another modied embodiment of a lbag produced according to the present invention, the bag being shown in its unfolded condition;y

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic showing of an apparatus according to the present invention for producing bags made of foldable material;

Fig. 10 is a composite strip divided into four individual ystrips from which bags may be produced inv accordance with the present invention;

: Figs. l1 `and l2y show a single strip in different foldedconditions;

A Fig. 13 is an elevational view showing details of part of the apparatus illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 9;

Fig. 14 is a side elevational view, partly in section,

taken substantially along line 14-14 of Fig, 13; and Fig. l5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 15-15 of Fig. 13.

Referring now to the drawings and to Fig. 1 thereof in particular, there is shown a bag which may be producedaccording to the present invention, the'bag being represented in its completely unfolded condition. The bag is formed from a substantially rectangular sheet ofl foldable material, as, for example, paper, foil, cellophane or the like, and includes a central portion approximately half of which is indicated at 11 and the remainder at 12, a pair of inner flap portions approximately half of each of which is indicated at 13 and the remainder at 16, and a pair of substantially rectangular outer ilap portions each of which is indicated at 14. The inner ap portions are on opposite sides of the central portion and extend throughout its entire length, whereas each of the outer flap portions 1-4 extends from the region of one end of the sheet beyond the midpoint thereof. The width of the central portion is shown as w.

Each of the inner ap portions, together with its associated outer ilap portion, is folded upon the central portion (Fig. 2) and each outer flap portion is folded back upon its associated inner flap portion (Fig. 3). A suitable glue or other adhesive is applied to the exposed K faces of the llap portions 14, or at least to that part of each flap portion which is indicated by a. The sheet materialtogether with the folded ilaps is folded along a transverse fold line 15 so that the bag then assumes the form show-n in plan view in Fig. 4 and in perspective in Fig. 5. Thus, the part 11 of the central portion constitutes one broad wall of the bag whereasv the part 12 constitutes theopposite broad wall, the width of each walls being w. Also, each flap portion 13 together with one of the ap portions 16 forms one of the side walls of the bag, each flap portion 14 providing the seam be tween a set of flap portions 13 and 16. As may readily be seen from the drawings, the interrelation between the distances a, b and c is such that portions V14. Thus, that portion of the length of the sheet from which the bag per se is made is indicated at L, and the transverse fold line 15 passes through the region of the midpoint of this length.

It has been found that for commercial and other purposes, the provision of an end ap is desirable. It has also been found, in practice, that the manufacture of Patented Sept. 15, 1959 a"ba`g"aecordinfg"to thie`V present invention is facilitated when" ther-length-- oftherouter'- ap" portions` 14- is equalto one half of the entire length of the sheet from which the bag is made, ie., when v l of the sheet is greater than L, so that one of the sides' ofit1'1'el'ua' g",2 namely, the=sidei indicated: at` 1.1L". is formedi-withlan-end inap ithe:length1.ovwl-ietib-is.indreated by the distance d. Aslmay readilyfbecompu-ted;

It will belunderstooiLloweverg than insofar: asthe'bag'f itself: is t concerned; the?` absence= orfV presence 'f of'. an end 'apf'is zofnorccons'equencef. Thus, irait is. desiredttorpr duce a bag without any end ffaprthersh'eetfrom which. the* bagais': formedxrrnaythaverther configuration shown iin Fig. J7v Wh'ereinLl equalsfV 1.1,. wherein al equals.-1/zl,mand= wherein b and d eachtrequalzeroa Thus, thesleft edgesI of-:the: outer apc portionn. 1'411?. are: in .registration with the left edge of the sheet, the length of the flap lportions 14a=isr.equal. tof one: half': of the; length: ofi. the sheet, andthe fold-line: 15a-1 is in registration with: theright edgeszof the aprportions 1411.

.TheIb'ag.illustrated-in` Fig. 8i differs from: the'. previously describedones'only inlthatrthe outenapsportions 14b are of substantially trapezoidal, ratherr than rectangular, configuration, the' marmerfof folding the. bag4 remaining thersamerEhe above-described: bagsv form. the subject: of. copendingffapplication Serial No., 591,4091ed-1une. 14, 195 6;. now abandoned;

Figogfis. a: diagrammatic showing; of an` apparatus 1.

capable; ofumaking any ofthe above=describedzbags and this ligure; togethenwithrFigs; 10-'-12`,.illustrates ar methodv by meansoflwhichttheibags-are produced. In 1'fig;,9,4 the supportl ofthe apparatus is indicated generallyv at 20, at th'ezright hand=p'ortionloiwhich; as fviewedainzthe figure, thereris a; supplyroll 2L The; latter. delivers.-l az strip. 222 :the overallfwidth of; which; isrepresented.: by'V el '(1-l`i1g;r 10')\'.-..'1*-liis strip-is 4 guided' oven. guide rollers 23' to a cutting; arrangement indicatedvgenerally. at 24twhichouts the st'r'ip:.in1o .a number: of. individual'. strips,.as,fo1 example, into four stripsv 25;..263n Z7', asshowrr inr.Fig. 10.? Each; of thesestrips-iis .composedfo equally'. long alternateanarrow and: wide .portions ZSband 302rwhichaare; sof/displaced relative to eachother that there is .no waste material between adjacent strips, the only waste; occuriring.v at31', and 32 l ati the outer= edges `ofithetwo outerf most: strips 25 and 28.1`

Thecutting. arrangement 2'4. which'. may be. driven in suitable manner, as,`.fo1r example; byvmeans oli In this way, each individual strip is formed at its oppositeedge portions withwopposite elongated-notches which leave between themselves opposite elongated tlap portions equal in length to the notches.

While the notches and aps are shown as being substantially rectangular in shape, the cutting arrangement 24 may impart a substantiallytrapezoidal shape to these notches and flaps, i.e., the short transverse cuts may form an angle with'the Vlength of thestripsinstead of being perpendicular thereto as illustrated in Fig. l0. In this Way, a\bag'according to Fig.-V 84A may-- be produced.

From thel cuttingrarrangement 24 the individual notched strips travel over a guide roller 36, and from there each'l strip moves beneath a separate guideproller 38.

. clear, however, that-'cachot` the 'individual stiipsfislsubelliptical gear-s101017v shown),Y includesaarotatable knife l carrierl 32nwhich2 carries .tworknivesl 33a and..33h which are; displaced 186 from eachother.: The knives can bereeeivedwit'lrin th'e slots 34a and 34h ofarotary platen 3'4 in suclta'A rmniner-y as to produce the-short transverse cuts.. Senn-circular4 knivesr70-andv70b are carried by a-secondrotatable lenire carrier 7 @and produce the 1ongitudtnalcuts. The knife carriers 33E and.y 701and=1 the platen 34 are rotated-in the directi'onof the arrowsso as to Y formthe individual strips. Y 25, .26, Z7', .28, it.l being clear. thatrthev relative speedsy and angular-positions of the jected to folding means, rollers,- etc., similarfto the type which willbe described below.

In practice, it; may be desirable to construct the apparatus in' such a manner that'the various elements which treat the individual strips are in alignment with each other. Forthis purpose, alternate strips-either the strips-Z5 and` 275 orthe strips-26 and' 28-move beneath a-roller' 37, the' spacing of which relative tothe rollers 36 and 38 is so selected that these alternate strips, which;

. after having been created'. by the cuttingv arrangement-24,

are linearly displaced relative tofthe` otherstrips, are,v by ther time they move beneathfthe roller 38',- in linearalignment with those strips which have moved directly fromy thel roller 36-to their respective roller 38l Each' roller isL narrower l thanthe mov-ing strip -andA has a widthlcorresponding approximately to` thewidth w ofthe-bag to-be for-med, so that by theA time thev particularnotched strip-the progressV of which will' be described-further has moved upwarlyy past the roller 38,

v itsedge portionsl are about' perpendicularl to the central portion of thevstrip.` From. the roller 38, thev moving strip travels `past a-irst folding means-39lwhich completes the folding: of the notchedf edge portions of the-strip onto one face thereof, so that the strip assumes the configurationshown inFig. 11 (cft Fig` 2).

The' strip isA then exposed tothe actionof a second foldingmeansAOlwhich, inthe direction of the moving strip, is; behind`- thefirst f'oldingmeans 391. This second folding meansserves to` foldthe` flapsof the notched/strip back onto-the previously foldededge portion, so-that the strip-assumes the conliguration shown` in Fig. 12- (cf, Fig, 3) in which the; numerals 11-to16-correspondv tothe elementsv of the finished bag, the numerals 41 indicating the lines. along which the strip will be cutinto individual sections# of which' individual bags are tobe fonned;

' The strip,y then passes .between two drive rollers 42- and I3-past any applicator device 44-'where a suitablegl'ue or other. adhesive is applied to the exposed faces the folded aps, or at least tothat part of each ap which corresponds to vthe distance a.

' The strip then moves past a separator device where itis cut along the lines 41 into individual sections, the lengths of which are shown by l'. Each individual'section is then folded along its transverseV fold line 1 5 by means ofjafoldingtool 47a carried by a rotatable toolfcarrier 47,- the 'tool 47a being received within'slots 48a of-a secondrotatable platen 48.l In this way, the incoming section which first'V moves onto the plate 4,9- is engaged`- by the tool 47a and, in its folded condition, is caused to move` between the pressing roller 50l and the platen 48; The flaps 14 are thus; in face-to-face contact with and rmly pressed against that' partof the edge portion of thesection which is not coextensive with the particular flap portion,l thus gluing these face-to-face portions togethery so as to form the seams of the bag.

The finished bags 51 are then stacked on a suitable rack 52.

Figs. 13 to 15 illustrate the folding means 39 and 40 in more detail. These means include a common support frame having sides 53 and 54 which support the shaft 55 about which the roller 38 rotates.

The lirst folding means 39 includes a C-shaped folding element 56 which is carried by a cross-bar 57 that is secured to` the sides 53 and 54, the element 56 being formed with two inwardly bent ear portions. The second folding means 40 includes a backing plate 58 which is secured to the sides 53 and 54, as, for example, by means of angle pieces 59. The actual folding members are arranged in front of the backing plate, and each includes a channel-shaped element 60 within which the flaps 14 of the moving strip are received and bent back upon the previously folded edge portions of the strip. A fastening pin 61 is secured to each of the channel-shaped members 60, which pin is received in a transverse bore of a mounting rod 62 the ends of which are attached to the sides 53 and 54. Suitable set screws 63 are provided for securing the pins 61 within their respective bores.

The drive rollers 42 and 43 are carried by shafts 64 and 65, respectively, which are rotatably supported by the sides 53 and 54. A suitable driving means, as, for example, meshing gears 66 and 67 non-rotatably secured to the shafts 64 and 65, respectively, are provided for rotating the driving rollers. The gears, in turn, can be driven in any suitable manner.

It will be runderstood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of methods and apparatuses for manufacturing bags differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a method and apparatus for manufacturing two-seam bags, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a method of making bags from an elongated strip of foldable material while such strips is moving in the direction of its length, the steps of providing the strip at its opposite edges with elongated notches which leave between themselves elongated ap portions approximately equal in length to said notches; folding the portions of said strip adjacent said opposite edges onto one face of said stripso as to form along said edges continuous notched folded-over edge portions; folding each of said ap portions back onto the previously folded corresponding edge portion; cutting the folded strip into individual sections each of which contains a pair of flap portions each of which extends from the region of one end of the respective section to approximately the midpoint thereof; and folding each section about a line transverse to said edge portions and passing through the region of the midpoint of each section and through said ilap portions so that that part of each edge portion which is not coextensive with any ap portion is in face-to-face relationship with the iiap portion associated with the remainder of such edge portion.

2. In a method of making bags from an elongated strip of foldable material while such strip is moving in the direction of its length, the steps of providing the strip at its opposite edges with opposite elongated notches which leave between themselves opposite elongated flap portions approximately equal in length to said notches; folding the portions of said strip adjacent said opposite edges onto one face of said strip so as to form along said edges continuous, notched folded-over edge portions; folding each of said ap portions back onto the previously folded corresponding edge portion; cutting the folded strip into individual sections each of which contains a pair of flap portions each of which extends from the region of one end of the respective section to approximately the midpoint thereof; and folding each section about a line transverse to said edge portions and passing through the region of the midpoint of each section and through said flap portions so that that part of each edge portion which is not coextensive with any ap portion is in face-to-face relationship with the flap portion associated with the remainder of such edge portion.

3. A method of making bags from an elongated strip of foldable material while such strip is moving in the direction of its length, comprising the steps of providing the strip at its opposite edges with elongated notches which leave between themselves elongated ap portions approximately equal in length to said notches; folding the portions of said strip adjacent said opposite edges onto one face of said strip so as to form along said edges continuous, notched folded-over edge portions; folding each of said ap portions back onto the previously folded corresponding edge portions; applying an adhesive to the exposed faces of the folded flap portions of the strip; cutting the folded strip into individual sections each of which contains a pair of flap portions each of which extends from the region of one end of the respective section to approximately the midpoint thereof; and folding each section about a line transverse to said edge portions and passing through the region of the midpoint of each section and through said ap portions so that that part of each edge portion which is not coextensive with any flap portion is in face-to-face relationship with and adheres to the flap portion associated with the remainder of such edge portion.

4. In an apparatus for making bags of foldable material, in combination, means for moving an elongated strip of foldable material along a predetermined work path; means for forming said strip at its opposite edge portions with notches which leave between themselves flap portions; rst folding means arranged along said work path for folding the portions of said strip adjacent said opposite edges of the moving strip onto one face thereof so as to form along said edges continuous, notched folded-over edge portions; and second folding means also arranged along said work path and, in the direction of the moving strip, behind said first folding means for folding the ilap portions of the moving strip back onto the previously folded corresponding edge portion of the strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,030,655 Ellis June 25, 1912 2,033,994 Mulligan Mar. 17, 1936 2,090,308 Potdevin Aug. 17, 1937 2,511,031 Yount June 13, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 867,948 Germany Feb. 23, 1953 

